Bedding the Wrong Brother(58)

“I'm not an entomologist,” Lucy exclaimed, beginning to look a little panicked. “I don't know a thing about bugs.”

Melina rushed to her desk in the living room and returned to the bedroom with a folder, neatly organized and tabbed. “You don't have to. Like you said, everything's set up. You just have to read my notes. Please, Lucy?”

“I-I…” Looking like a hunted rabbit, Lucy turned to Grace.

“I'm out of town that day,” Grace said quickly.

“Please, Lucy. He's not my soul mate, but I like Jamie and respect him. I can't just ditch him. This conference is a huge deal and, as the organizer, he's going to be swamped. Do this for me, and I'll owe you, I promise.”

“You'll owe me, huh?” Lucy said, still looking like she'd rather eat dirt.

Melina just nodded and held out the folder.

With a sigh, Lucy took it. “Fine. I'll keep you in Jamie's good graces just in case you decide you don't want Rhys as much as you thought.”

“It's not Rhys I'm unsure about,” Melina insisted. “Not anymore.”

“Honey, it's all part of the package, right? You can't have Rhys without all the rest.”

After her friends left, Melina thought about what Lucy had said. She thought about it as she finished packing. She thought about it when she boarded the plane the next morning. And she thought about it as she walked outside to meet Rhys.

When she saw Rhys, she dropped her luggage and ran into his arms, almost crying with relief when his arms wrapped around her and pulled her in close. She lifted her face to kiss him just as his mouth covered hers. His tongue sank into her mouth, stealing her breath and her sanity until she finally pulled away.


She opened her mouth and tried to say it: I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If that means going on the road or living out of a suitcase for the rest of my life, I'll do it. Instead, she just kissed him again.

“You ready to get to work?” he asked with a grin.

She forced a smile. “You tie me up. You work your magic. I just need to smile and look pretty, right? How hard can it be?”



* * *



Jillian knocked on the dressing room door even louder this time. “Aren't you ready yet?”

Melina stared at herself in the full-length mirror, cringing at what she saw. The sparkly outfit that Jillian was trying to alter to fit her form was her exact size, only Rhys's runaway assistant had obviously had more to love on top than she did. Instead of enhancing her minimal curves, the droopy neckline made her look flatter than an ironing board, and the minuscule skirt made her thighs look like tree trunks.

“I told you, it doesn't fit,” Melina called out again, wondering if the woman was hard of hearing.

“Of course it doesn't,” Jillian called, her voice clearly reflecting her impatience. “I'm not done with it yet. Now come out here so you can get back to practice.”

Melina groaned. Practice. Right.

She and Rhys had been practicing ever since they'd arrived from the airport. Not that he was a slave driver. He'd given her plenty of breaks, for food and for nookie, but as soon as they started practicing again, it was all business. Her body ached from having to stretch out and hang for so long from the Metamorphosis apparatus, and she was jittery because of the way Rhys repeatedly ran his hands up and down her body.

“Usually I don't think anything of doing this,” he'd said. “It's all just in a day's work.” Before she could snort and call him a liar, he kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, “Doing it to you reminds me of something.”

She'd swallowed and breathed out, “What's that?”

“I owe you for torturing me when I was tied up. When you're spread out in front me and unable to do anything but beg for me to take you, remember that.”

Closing her eyes, she licked her lips. “I'm doing you a favor here. I don't think threats are appropriate at this point. Besides, I thought you liked what we did.”

He'd just chuckled and backed off, releasing her to wardrobe.

Knowing she couldn't put it off any longer, she opened the door and peeked out. Jillian whirled around and waved her closer. “Come on out so I can see what I'm working with.”

Reluctantly, Melina stepped into view.

Instead of laughing her ass off, as Melina had expected, Jillian nodded. “Good. That's good.”